Cushioning means for vehicles.



J. L. LA DRIERE. CUSHIONING MEANS FOR VEHICLES. APPLIOATION FILEDJUL'Y24, 1912.

La msga WITNESSES.

J. L. LA DRIERE.

OUSHIONING MEANS FDR VBEIOLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1912 Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.. bodying a pneumatic a rs"- in Mills fillies JOSEPH L. LA DRIERE, OFALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEIXZ IGQ.

CUE'vHIONING MEANS FOR VEHICLES.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 24:, 191.2. I

Patent-ed Feb. 25.11%9113. Serial No. 711,261.

To aZZ whom it concern Be it known that I, Josurn L. LA Duncan, citizenof the United States, residing at Albuquerque, in the county ofBernalillo and State ofiNew lilexico, have-invented. new and usefulImprovements in Cushioning Means for Vehicles, of which the following isa specification.

.Iy present iiivention pertalns to means or absorbing shock andpreventing tile transmission of shock and to the bodies cars,automobiles and other vehicles. The object oi the invention is toprovide a compact and highly etlicient device can-- tire or otherannular cushion surrounding the axle of the vehicle and interposedbetween an elliptic spring and the body and connected through yieldingmeans with the body so as to citiciently cushion and at the same tunepreclude undue recoil of the body.

Other advantageous characteristics of the invention will be fullyunderstood from the following description and claims when the same areread in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part ofthis specification 1n which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pneuinatic axle and shock absorberconstituting the best practical embodiment of my invention that I haveas yet devised. Fig. 2 is a View, partly in vertical section and partlyin elevation, taken at a right angle to Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in both viewsof the drawings. v

In furtherance of my invention I arrange on the axle l of a vehicle, twospaced collars 2, andbetween the said collars" I arrange guides 3. achof the saidiguides is preferably, though not necessarily, made up oflapped bars, Fig. 1, having opposed toothed. faces as indicated by 4:-One set oi the bars, four in number, are fixed to and depend from a rest5, and the other set of bars, also four in number, are fixed to andextend upward from a cradle 6. It will also be noticed that the opposedbars are connected together through the medium of bolts 6.

Surrounding the axle 1 and having a circumferential groove is a collar7, and the said collar is equipped with tubular portions 8 each of whichis disposed between and free to move up and down between a pair ofguides. Surrounding the collar and a buckle l9.

seated in the said circumferential groove thereof is a cushionlngannulus 9 which is annulus in the torin'of a pneumatic or in flatabletire, I do not desire to be understood as confining niyseltto saidconstruction, in .isinuch as a cushioning annulus of solid rubber orother suitable resilient material may be employed without involvingdeparture from the scope of my invention.

Disposed under the cradle (3 and connected with the same and also withthe guides 3, is an elliptic spring made up of leaves and designed atits ends to be curved upward and connected in conventional manner (notshown), with the body of the vehicle, indirated by .13. Thesaio'elliptic spring is nlunbcred lit, and is best; shown in Fig. 1.

Fixed to and extending outward from the body of the vehicle a bar 15,and con nected to the underside of the said bar 15 is a leaf spring 16which has its ends tended beyond the bar, as best shown in Fig. 1 andterminating in knuckles 17. To one of the said knuckles is connected oneend of a strap 18, preferably of leather, which strap is passed aroundthe tire 9 and interposed between the? sarne and the cradle 6, and thencarried upward to a point adjacent the other knuckle, where it isprovided with A second strap 20 is engaged with said buckle inconventional manner and is connect at its upper end with such otherknuckle. The connection oi the straps 18 and 20 through the medium ofthe buckle 19 permits of the device being adjusted to regulate itstension.

A rod 21 is connected to the rest 5, and is carried upward throughcoincident-apertures in the bar 15 and the leaves of the spring 16. Byvirtue of this arrangement the body 13 is held against lateral movement.

A bumper 22, of rubber 'or other resilient material, is arranged on therest 5 and around the rodfll. T he said bumper serves in the S ll n willbe manifest from t eta-a eing that the splin 14 hung under the axle andconnected to thetire-holding-frame, serves to pull downward, and therebyplacethe Weight; on the portion of the cushionin annulus ,9thatisbetween the axle 1 am the body 13." It will also be manife'stthat thestrap, the spring 16 and-theeushioning annulu constltute a highlyefiicientrecoil or shocli absorber; audit will further be observed thatby reason of the cushioning annulus surrounding the axle it will operateboth i Ways in reducing to a minimum the transmission of shockand'jar'to the-body, a-ndin assuring easy ridingof the persons in thelatter.

Having described my invention, what I claim and de'sire'to secure byLetters-Puteht, is: l

1. In a vehicle, the combination of an axle, a body, a frame, acushioning annulus axle, a body, a frame, a collar surrounding.

the axle and movable in said frame, a cnshionmgannulus surrounding thecollar and disposed 1n the frame, on underhung sprmg connected to theframe whereby it is enabled to pull down on the top'of said annulus, anda strap having its ends connected with the body and also having a bighti(11$- posed under and receiving the lower portion of the annulus.

'3. In avehicle, the combination oi an axle, a body, a spring connectedwith the body and having extended end portions, a frame, a collarsurrounding the axle and movable'in said frame, a cushioning annulussurrounding the axle and disposed in the frame, an underhung springconnected to the frame whereby it is enabled to pull down on the top ofsaid annulus, and a strap havaxle, a body having.a iaterally extending"ing apertures coincident with that-bf fee.

ing a bight disposed'under and receiving'fi; the lower portion oftheannulus and also having its ends connected to the extended endportions of the first-named spring 1 v 4. In a vehicle, thecombinationfofflan apertured plate, a frame,a collar surround ing theaxle and movable injsaidifranie, a cushioning annulussurrounding theaxleand disposed in the frame, an, under-lunegv spring ronnocted to theframewhereby it i'sf adapted to pull down on the top of ti nulus, a springconnected to th eilap v extending apcltured plate on tliebody and havingextended end portions mas n plate, :1 strap having a bightreceiving thelower portion of the annulus and also am; ing end portions connected tothecxtcnded ends of the sccondmnined spring, a rod connectod to andextending upward from the] frame and through the said nper-tures oftheplate midspring, and'a resilient bumperasurroumtlingthe rod andsuperposed on the :Eraine. p 5. In a vehicle, the combination of a body.having, an apcrtnred portion, an axle, a cushioning: annulus surroundingthe axle, an undcrhung' spring, a frame connected with said spring andreceiving thevaxle and annulus, and "a rod carried by and extending:upward from, said frame and loosely; through the said hperturedportionof the} body. e l 6. In a vehicle, the con'ibination of a body, aspring connected therewith and having extended end portions, an axle, acushion ing annulus surrounding the axle," anrl' i'o strap having abighl receiving the lower portion of the cushioning annulus; the saidstrap being connected at its ends to the saidxj extended ends oi thespring. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence oftwo subscribing Wit-v nosses,

Josnrn L. LA names lVitnesses W. (.l. KIuM, inn. M. Paints.

